Top Safety Tips for Your Car Hire Vehicle

When selecting a car hire vehicle, you usually choose a car that is pertinent to your travel needs. You may choose a vehicle that is smaller or larger than your usual mode of transport and it may take some time to become familiar with your new driving environment.

We have compiled a few tips to help you comfortably settle into your car hire vehicle and detailed safety tips to ensure you have an enjoyable driving experience.

Tip One: Know Your Blind Spots

It is important to know that each vehicle has blind spots. As a driver, it is essential to be aware of these and to take the necessary precautions to acknowledge that other motorists may be present in your blind spots. This is important to keep in mind when you are required to take quick action or would like to make a lane change.

Always safely glance over your right shoulder before changing to the right lane, and always glance over your left shoulder before maneuvering to the left lane.

If you are travelling on a road with duel lanes, be courteous of other drivers and try to avoid travelling in another driver?s blind spot for a lengthy period of time.

Tip Two: Acknowledge the Size and Design of Your Car Hire

When renting a car, be considerate of the type of vehicle you have hired. If your usual vehicle is a small compact car but you have hired a 4WD, you may find that the driving environment is quite different to what you are used to.

Being positioned higher than a normal car, your vision capabilities may alter. For example, a motorbike rider directly behind your 4WD vehicle will appear differently in your rearview mirror than if you were in a smaller car. From a 4WD, you may only see the rider?s helmet rather than the full motorbike and its front headlight.

Furthermore, you should also be aware of your vision capabilities when reversing. When driving a 4WD, your ability to see things behind your car is more difficult. Before reversing, take a few seconds to visit the back of the car to ensure no items are in your way.

If you are hiring a sedan but are used to a hatchback or wagon, then remember you have extra car length that extends beyond the back window ? this is especially important when judging distance while reversing.

Tip Three: Position Mirrors and Seats Correctly

Before leaving the car hire depot, you should correctly position all appropriate mirrors and place the driver?s seat in a position that will be supportive and comfortable for your driving.

Tip Four: Pack the Car Safely

When placing luggage and other items within the storage space of your hire vehicle, ensure they are packed securely and are not positioned in a way that will impede your visibility.

For example, avoid allowing luggage or other items to be freely placed whereby they can easily move around. If you have to stop suddenly, you do not want any items being projected around the vehicle.

Try to avoid putting objects in a position that reduces your ability to see out the back window properly (objects in the boot storage section of a hatchback or wagon) or impedes your ability to check your blind spots correctly when glancing over your shoulder (items placed on the back seat near windows).

Enjoy Your Travels!
We hope the above safety tips assist you with your next car hire and you have a positive and enjoyable journey!

Car Rental Buddy is an Australian owned company designed to provide you the opportunity to compare affordable rental packages from over 1,500 car hire companies across 30,000 locations in 174 countries.

Call us on 1300 737 400 (or +61 2 8228 1898). We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!